Q & A: Richmond's favorite Idol, Elliott Yamin, speaks
Daily Press - Newport News,VA,USA
Q: I see your Christmas CD ["Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection"] is on the Billboard charts. A: It's sold 10000 copies so far, ...

http://www.dailypress.com/features/dp-now_...0,6882679.story

Q & A: Richmond's favorite Idol, Elliott Yamin, speaks
Elliott Yamin

Elliott Yamin (Photo courtesy of IE Marketing)

By SAM MCDONALD | 247-4732
2:23 PM EST, December 6, 2007


Tonight in Norfolk, American Idol hero Elliott Yamin will join a set of tennis stars at AnthemLIVE!, a fundraiser for cancer research.

Racket masters James Blake, Serena Williams, Mardy Fish and Tatiana Golovin will be part of the event starting 7 p.m. at the Ted Constant Center at Old Dominion University. Yamin will provide the night's only musical moments. Co-star Gloria Gaynor had to cancel her appearance in Norfolk due to illness.

Last week, Yamin called from Los Angeles and answered questions about his developing career as a blue-eyed soul singer. Yamin's self-titled debut CD has gone gold. His song "Wait For You" is at No. 8 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart and his new Christmas album is currently a strong seller.

Q: You recently played a show at The NorVa in Norfolk. Did the show go well?

A: Oh yeah. A lot of my friends and family came from Richmond, so I got a big response, just like at my other Virginia shows. That was my first time I'd even seen The NorVa. I'd say it's the coolest venue I've ever been to. It's like an amusement park backstage, the hot tub, the sauna, basketball. And the staff there really took care of us. It's amazing. I want to have a residency there.

Q: I see your Christmas CD ["Sounds of the Season: The Elliott Yamin Holiday Collection"] is on the Billboard charts.

A: It's sold 10,000 copies so far, which isn't bad. And the good thing is, the way we made that deal, I own my master recordings. So once January comes around, I'll own that record. Next year, I'll be able to put it out with more songs if I want to.

Q: You've been doing a lot of overseas touring. Has that opened your eyes in any way?

A: The first show I did abroad was in the Philippines, we did a 10-day tour there a couple of months ago. It's very poor, but they love American music there. It's very Americanized in many ways ... While it's a poor country, the people are very warm and friendly, very inviting ... I'm still surprised that people know my music in so many places around the world. It's pretty humbling ... I'm going to do a USO tour at the end of February, but I'm not allowed to say where.

Q: Besides that, what's in store for you in 2008?

A: I plan to jump back in the studio and record some more songs. I'd like to have 50 songs to choose from for my next album. That's my goal. And Broadway's been calling. I've been offered a few parts. It's always been a dream of mine to sing on Broadway.

Q: Have you been in touch with [fellow American Idol contestant] Chris Richardson?

A: We talk all the time. We text a lot. He's been asking me to help him write some songs. He came to the NorVa show with his mom and dad and members of his family. He's a great kid, got a great head on his shoulders. I'm anxious to see what kind of music he puts out.

Q: Why did you want to get involved with AnthemLIVE?

A: Charity work is something I feel strongly about. I do a lot of work for diabetes charities. [Yamin is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes]. Any time you have a chance to do some good, you should do it.

Elliott said: "It's sold 10,000 copies so far, which isn't bad. "

Elliott, it's not as good as 23,000.

OK - that's a heavenly concept to me - Elliott and Broadway, two of my favorite things!

Elliott on Broadway!!! I can go for that!!!

Me too! I heard that they wanted him to perform in the play Rent. I have seen it twice and Elliott would be awesome in it!

OMG, I would love to see Elliott on broadway, theater and Elliott are two of my favorite things, a E train reunion in NYC would be in order, can you imagine the photo opportunities, a photo of the E train and the Naked singing cowboy would make my day!

Elliott pities our country. That's good to know.

LOL .... not entirely diplomatic, indeed.

What I noticed in Elliott's statement. He found the real riches in a country that is poor. The true riches is the warm spirit of the people. That is what really makes a country RICH! :grouphug:

And the second thing is Elliott's goal of 50 songs he wants to record and I hope I get to hear everyone on his Cd's through the next few years!! :tisdseason:

50 songs would make a rich catalog to choose from for the next few albums....

get thee to a studio, Yamin!

for covers, full versions of "A House Is Not A Home", "Whipping Post", and "I Believe To My Soul", please.

A remake of "Whipping Post" would be awesome. I would also love to hear him sing "For All We Know."

Okay, If he decides to take a role on Broadway, I will just have to get a part time job at the theater....Can't afford to see a show as many times as I will want to! :elliottelliott: :elliottelliott: :elliottelliott:

I had no idea that Elliott and Chris Richardson were really close! (I'm so a newbie!) That's funny because I was rooting for Chris last season! And yay for 50 songs ... if we can get a hold of all those songs, we'd have a couple hours worth of that magical voice! Amen to that!

Tee hee...Maybe he has a falsetto he's been hiding and will join Jersey Boys...or maybe he can succeed Fantasia in The Color Purple. Hee.

Anyone go to the match tonight?

I would love to know what he sang.

"So once January comes around, I'll own that record. Next year, I'll be able to put it out with more songs if I want to."

:yes:

Me likes this idea.

Well it's true, we're poor. The only thing to be proud of is that we just laugh on our own adversities and failures. We are #2 happiest country in Asia, lol. That says a lot. It's not really surprising any tourist can see that, Manila alone...well.

But nice interview though, nice read! Good luck to Elliott!:D

Chris Rich has mentioned a few times in interviews that he wants to work with Elliott, write for/with Elliott, and he's now listed among Elliott's top myspace friends, so I guess they've been hooking up. He's a pretty good songwriter, I think, so that connection is another good one Elliott (and for Chris), since it may generate some more worthy material to choose from for that second album -- which he wants to come out in the summer -- Yippee! And 50 songs to choose from -- that would be *great* -- really have a chance to make a killer album. And then to follow that up potentially with a rerelased, longer holiday album -- making for four good albums in his first two years. This interview is so full of good news I can hardly stand it.

You and me both chloe.... or I'll go broke! ;)

Elliott talked about Chris when he was visiting Amanda at St. Judes back in October. He said they were friends and they were going to work on something together and told me Chris would be at the Norfolk show. Of course, he couldn't help but notice the big poster of Chris on Amanda's wall. LOL Josh has also mentioned that he's going to be working with Chris.

That's good news. Sounds like it'll be a win-win for everyone.

And, Elliott being blunt and truthful Elliott, if he actually weren't thinking of working with Chris, he probably would have looked at Amanda's poster and said, Well, I don't really like that guy!

Maybe this time next year we'll be hoping for both a Grammy and a Tony nod.

I like your thinking!

I'm going to do a USO tour at the end of February, but I'm not allowed to say where.


I'm glad to hear that Elliott is doing this. It seems like the Entertainment Industry in general has taken a step back from this in recent times.

Uh-oh, here we go again! I think Tony's only go to the original cast of a show, right? ... That's why Fantasia wasn't eligible for one, for example. ... Yet another awards show where Elliott would be out on a technicality!

:thud:

:santarotfl:

Of course, we've got to remember that this year the Tonys took the pretty unprecedented step of letting Fanty sing at the awards ceremony anyway -- in recognition that she was brilliant and *should* have gotten a dang award. So I guess we can hope that the same thing happens for E!

I read on the American Idol home page that Kellie Pickler is also going to do a USO tour.

Broadway??? I know it's been mentioned many times in the past and I'd be thrilled for Elliott to live yet another of his dreams but I'd probably never get to see him on Broadway.

Hey, never say never!!! If Ramblerg and are working there, we'll hook you up!!! :santarotfl: :santarotfl: :santarotfl: :santarotfl:

Perfect, then I'll take the never out and keep my hopes up! :)

Sheryl...We can all stay at Rick's house!!! What a reunion that would be!!!
Imagine the "photo shoots" we could do in NYC...

:grouphug: :xmasetrain: :grouphug: :xmasetrain: